IRISH CLUBS SET FOR ECCC CROSS COUNTRY IN OEIRAS

Seven Irish teams will take on the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country in Portugal this weekend (Feb 6th).

The teams secured their place in Oeiras by virtue their first and second place club finishes at the 2021 National Cross Country Championships in Santry.

Clonliffe Harriers and Dundrum South Dublin AC both send strong looking teams to the senior men’s race. Fingal-Dublin 2021 stars Hiko Tonosa, Emmet Jennings, and Paul O’Donnell are joined by Killian Mooney and Matthew Bergin for a DSD team who look sure to be in the mix.

Clonliffe will have no shortage of speed or experience in their line up with Sergiu Ciobanu, Ian Guiden, Sean O’Leary, and Jonny Wan all set to take their place following a brilliant performance on home soil last November.

National women’s champion, Michelle Finn, will spearhead the Leevale charge in the senior women’s race, backed up by a strong looking team of Lizzie Lee, Michelle Kenny, Niamh Moore, and Sinead O’Connor.

Another 2021 European Cross Country star will be in action in the junior men’s race, with Dean Casey of Ennis Track Club joining brother Dylan, Mark Hanrahan, Thomas McGuire, Niall Murphy, and Cian O’Boyle.

A historic weekend lies ahead for Letterkenny AC, with Noeleen Scanlan, Natasha Adams, Nakita Burke and Universities Cross country champion Christine Russell set to take to the gun in the black and amber vests of the Donegal club.

Donegal will be doubly represented in Portugal on Sunday, with Finn Valley AC set to make another appearance at the championships, this time in the junior women’s race.

Finn Valley AC athletes Emer O’Brien, Sarah Bradley, Eimear McCarroll and Nuala Bose were presented with their club kit on departure by Catriona Devine - a member of the Finn Valley AC senior women’s team  who competed at the European Champion Clubs Cup nine times, including a sixth place finish in 1995.

Youghal AC will also be represented in the junior women’s race with a strong looking team on the back of an impressive national championships team performance. Athletes Robyn Buckley, Alex Cashman, Avril Cashman, Emma Landers, and Avril Millerick will have no shortage of home support roaring them on as they take to Sunday’s start.

Athletics Ireland would like to wish all of our clubs the very best of luck as they represent us in Portugal this weekend.

More Information

The highest profile name to be competing at the Jamor National Sports Complex will be Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the world half marathon champion and world record-holder. Only 18, Kiplimo won the individual senior title three years ago and he will be looking for individual back-to-back titles for Casone Noceto.

Results: Click HERE

Stream: Click HERE

Timetable: Click HERE